Pumping means for gasoline gauges



' June 30, 1931. 1.. H. WHEELER PUMPING MEANS FOR GASOLINE GAUGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 11. 192'? W w! w? MA @2516? for-gays.

June 30, 1931. L. H. -WHEELER PUMPING MEANS FOR GASOLINE GAUGES Original Filed May 11. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j A? A 4 l I!!! fill!!! 'IIIIIIII ii! M WNW 402 8 M00 m wfi 6 7 m? L v \E 1 E, 2 g EEEEEEW a a M M/2W2 m We a a Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED TES AT irmen Lnoimnn n; WHEELER, on cnrcaso, ILnmoIs, AssiGiion TO srnwanr-wannnn coitrona'rron, or onroaeo, innrnoisa coaroaa'rron on VIRGINIA,

' PUMrInai/irnins Foe easoninn GAU S Rcfiled for abandoned application Se ial No.182fi98, filed May 11, 1927. This application filedMay 19,

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 38,946, filed June 22, 1925.

' -The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction of a depth-indieating device, particularly adapted for 1nd1- i of them with thevacuum tank;

eating the depth of gasoline in the main fuel tank carried by a motor vehicle, having an indicating element or gauge face mounted upon the-forward part of the vehicle, and therefore at a considerable distance from the tank the depth of whose liquid contents isto be indicated. It consists in the elements and featuresof constructionshown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Flgure 1 1s a diagrammatic view representing a motor vehicle having the fuel tank equipped with a device embodying this invention and connected for operation of the pumping device with a vacuum chamber of a vacuum fuel feed tank, the figure being in tended particularly to indicate the relative positions on the vehicle of the tank or fuel container and'the depth gauge, and to trace the connection between the two and of each Figure 2 is a diagrammatic viewconsisting 'of a vertical section of the fuel container and pressure pipe leading therefrom to the gauge, a vertical section of one form of the pumping device connected to the pipe line from the container pressure pipe to the pressure gauge, and a vertical section of a conventional construction of the nature of a pressure gauge; Figure 3 is aportion of the section shown in Figure 2 upon a larger scale;

Figure L is a section onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2; I Figure 5 is a detail section similar'to'Figure 3 and indicated also by the line 5'5- on Figure 6 showing a detail modification;

Figure 6 is a plan View of the form shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional view in a plane corresponding to'that of Figure 3 and indicated also at the line 77 onFigure 8, showing another modification which consists in duplicating the mercury trap and pressure conn'ection's; 1 i a. H

Serial No. 454,111.

Figure 8 is a top plan view on reduced scale of the form shown in Figure 7;

F igure9 is a sectional side elevation of the at the rear of the vehicle isseen at B, and 1) indicates the pressure gauge mounted at the dash, E being the familiarvacuumtank to which the fuel is liftedjby suction of the engine from the low tank B, and which inzthe present invention'has a vacuum chamber E connected by the pipe; C 'with the pumping device indicated as to totality hytheletterC. v The fuel pipe line leadingfrom the main supplytank B to the vacuum tank Dis ,i'ndii cated at 10. Mountedfixedlywithrespect to the tank B and depending'therein, opening for intake in the tank at a point below the lowest liquid level to be indicated, is a pressure pipe 11 whichexten'ds out throughthetop of the tank and is connected by a pipe 12 with the pressure gauge D for communicating to thepressure-resp'onsive element of the pressuregauge'the pressure of the head of liquid in the tank B, which, having sealed the lower intake end of the pipe 11, tends to compress the air in that pipe more or lessee vthe liquid'head inthe tank is greater or less, thispressure lndicated by'thepressure gauge beingptherefore a correct measure of the depth ofthe liouid in the tank unless in an n .1. 7

pressure gauge orthe equivalent of air'leakthe liquid 1 The primary purpose of the present 1nvenage consisting in the absorption of air by tion is to avoid error in the indication of the pressure gaugewhich might be caused by absorption or leakage of the air which isliable to occur.

, The expedient forthis purpose, stated gen-i erally, is intermittently, preferablysome instance there be air lea age at any point in the pressure line between the tank and the which pressure is relieved instantly upon the venting which occurs at the lower end of the pipe 11 from which the air. bubbles through the liquid,-the head of liquid in the tank willoperate normally for causing the liquid to be; forced up into the pressure pipe and produce compression of the fresh air in normal conditiontherein for transmitting pressure to the pressureresponsive element ofthe pressure'gauge which sh all be truly indicative of the head ofliquidin the tank.

In considering this action it will be borne in mind that the suction operative for draw ing liquid out of the tank through the pipe 10' is also operative through the pipe 12, and that the air bubbling up through the liquid as stated replaces in the space above the liquid in the tank the liquid which is withdrawn bythe suction through the pipe 10.

In carrying out this expedient for freshening or rectifying the pressure-transmitting air in the pipe 12 there is provided a pumping device adapted tobe operated by theintermittent suction which is operative in the vacuum chamber of the vacuum tank A simple form of. this expedient is seen in the drawings consisting of a pumpchamber 20, having a piston 21, 21 reciprocating "thereinand norm-ally held at one limit of its stroke in the chamber by a spring 22, the piston chamber having connection from the other end with the vacuum chamber E of the vacuum tank E into the top of which the terminal nipple 23' of said piston chamber is adapted to be screwed, as seen in Figure 2, with the obvious result that at the suction phase of the vacuum chamber the piston 21, 21 is retracted against the resistance o f the spring 22 and produces a suction inflow ofa-ir through a port 29. The pump chamber comprises a larger diametered part 20 and a smaller diame-tered part 20 and the piston comprises correspondingly a larger diametered' part 21 and a smaller diametered'part 2l -at the inner end ofthe larger parttha-t is, the end toward which the piston is thrust "and yieldingly held by the spring 22 at the normal position of the parts. The larger and smaller portions of the piston 21, 21 correspond in diameter to the larger and smaller portions 20, 20 of the piston chamher; and the atmospheric inlet port 29 opens into the piston chamber at the inner end of the larger portion, that is so that the farther margin of the port is substantially at the plane of the entrance to the reduced portion of the piston chamber, as most clearly seen in Figure- 3. The port is designed to be of sufficient diameter to permit the larger portion of the piston to be thrust in by the spring 22 without any substantial resistance or impediment by reason of the necessity for driving out air through the port, from which it results that the retraction of the piston'by the 'rel or piston chamberis formechleads from the piston chamber and communicates. downwardly with the upper end of a vertical bore in a lateral boss F of the castingF, into which a pipe member 40 which contains the chamber is drive-fitted, having apertures as seen at 40 forregistering with the pipe members, 12, 12, respectively, and an exterior annular groove, 40 at. the zone of said apertures, 40, for maintaining communication between them. Said pipe member has its upper end closedfby a bushing 41 whose central aperture registers with the down wardly open end24 of the duct 24, and having secured liquid-tight in it forextending downwardly at the center. of the chamber 30, a depending pipe 25 which terminatesat its lower end open at a short distanceabove the closed lower end of the pipe member 40, so that the air passage from tho inletport, 29, to the ports, 10", 40", which lead'respectively to the gauge, D, and to the fuel container, B,

comprises a downwardly extending part in the pipe, 25, and an upwardly eXtendm- 'part in the annular space in the pipe, 40, around the pipe, 25,'which affords a trap for liquid,

iserving a purpose'hereinafter indicated. The

smaller part 21 of the piston has an axially extended bore 27 which stops short at the plane of enlargement of the piston and at that point communicateswith a radial-bore 28 which opens at the surface of the smaller part of the piston immediately above the shoulder betweenthe two differently diame tered parts of the piston. This bore 27 is counterbored'at the upper end as. see-n at 2'7 to accommodate and form aniupwardly facingseat 27 fora ball checkivalve26, The lower part of the chamber 30 within which the tube 25 terminates openly is utilized, for

containing a quantity of mercury indicated a at 4-2, which seals the lowerend ofthe, pipe '25 a ainst the. passage of air while it transmits pressure between the cavityof the pipe 25 and the annular cavitywhich constitutes the chamber 30. The lateral boss F 1s formed the entire-pump device to be interposed in the pipe line 12 which, as above described, leads tothe pressure gauge, the section of said pipe 12 leading from the tank B being connected to one end of the cross-arm of the -T, and the other section, leading tothe pressure gauge, being connected" to the other end of said cross-arm. r

Upon considering the operation of this construction it may be understood that at-the suction phase of the vacuum tank the piston 21, 21 will be retracted against the resistance of the spring 22, taking in air through the port 29 into the larger part 20 of the piston chamber, from which it passes by the duct 27 up past the check valve 26 into the counterbore 27 a in response to the partial vacuum which is created by the withdrawal of the smaller part of the piston in the corresponding part of the piston chamber and in the duct 24: and pipe 25. Upon the return stroke of the piston under the reaction of the spring 22, occurring when the suction phase of the vacuum tank ends and the atmospheric pressure is-admitted to the tank, the air which has thus passed the check valve 26 and occupied the passages there-beyond down to the mercury, which is trapped in the lower part of the pipe member 40 and which seals the lower end of the pipe 25, is sufficiently compressed to drive the mercury down to the end of the pipe 25 and up in the chamber 30 around that pipe, permitting the air to bubble up past the lower end of the pipe 25 and pass up into the chamber 30 to the entrance of the pipe members 12, 12, thus transmitting the pressure produced by the piston under the reaction of the spring 22 equally to the pressure gauge and to the main fuel tank, restoring the status as to pressure in the pipe 11 and the pipe section 12 therefrom which may have been measurably lost by air leakage or absorption of air by leakage.

In order to insure against the mercury escaping either backthrough the duct 27 and becoming trapped above the check valve 26 or being forced or flowing on through the cham ber 30 into the pipe 12, as might possibly occur from the sudden reaction of the spring 22 giving it impetus, but more especially to insure against such escape of the, mercury in case of tilting or inverting the apparatus in handling for mounting or demounting or being overturned in case of accident to the car, there is desirably inserted in the pipe 25 a felt plug 50, and in the annular space of the chamber 30 about-the pipe 25 at the upper part of said space there is inserted a similar annular felt plug 51, those felt plugs being so porous as not to materially impede the passage of the air but adapted to effectually prevent passage of the mercury by either of the courses indicated.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is shown a detail l Qdificacion of the construction, in which, i11- stead of the pipe 25 extending axially within the :chamber 30, a duct 25 is bored'in the casting F obliquely from the upper end of the piston chamber down toward the left, open ing in the lower *part of'the chamber 30?, which corresponds to the chamber 30 of the previously described form, said chamber 3O being formeddirectly in the boss F corresponding to F ofthe previous form. In this modification, instead of givingthe upper end of the casting-F- the form'of a T fittingfor connection with the pipe members 12, aT- fitting 60 is screwed'into the upper end-of the boss F for connection through its stem with the upper end of the chamber 30- inrwhich a felt plug 51*, corresponding in function tothe plug 51, is interposed and the pipes, '12, 12 are connected to the opposite-"ends of the cross arm of the'T asfseenin Figure 6; i

InFigures'7, 8 and 9 there is shown a modification which involves duplicating the mercury trap, that is, forming two such straps,

one upon each side-of the pumping chamber,

said traps having connections'at their opposite sides for interposing themin pipes 12 and 12 respectively which each connect a liquid reservoir whose contents are to beindi- 'cated with a gauge for indicating the same, said reservoirs being separate and independentand the gauges likewise being separate and independent, as for example the fuel tank and the lubricant reservoir in the crank case'of'the engine servedi It it notcon'sid ered necessary to show these separate reservoirs or the' respective gauges-tin the draw- 'ings, the same beingiindicatedby nameat the broken ends of the pipe connectionsshown in Figures Sand 9 and with indications as leading to'said reservoirs andgauges'respectively.

In this modification the parts and detail shown in Figure 3,'are indicated by. the same reference characters, but the construction differs fromithat showninIFigure 3 to the extent'that the lateral bosses in which the ch aniberfor the pipe member 410 is a formed are bored from the upper end for receiving this chamber, instead of from'the lower end as in Figure 3, and are" counterbo'redxfrom the up perend to form a sh0ulder-70for stopping theupper end of'the pipe member 40, which is flanged at the upper end forthatpurpose as seen at 40", the bushing 41 Jwhich carries the pipe 25 -.being correspondingly flanged as seeniat 41* inFigure 7;-'anda plug 80 is i 1105 features which are identicalwith the form of the pump chambercto-the pipe 25 {and v to also insure such communication .in view of the plug being screwed into place for clamping the flanges as mentioned, the plug has a peripheral groove for registering with the passage 24 at the screwed-in position of the plug.

I claim 1. An air pumping device for'the purpose indicated consisting of a body having a cavity adapted for connection with asource ofintermittent, suction; amovable member for expanding and reducing the cavity; means yieldingly holding said member against movement in response to the suction through said connection, said body having 7 an outlet from the cavity adapted for connection to transmit air pressure from the pumping device, and having an air inlet to the cavity positioned for admitting air thereto at the opposite side of the movable element from the suction connection, the passage from said air inlet to the outlet comprising a descending part succeeded by an ascending part forming a trap for,v liquid interposed in the line of pressure communicated from the pump to the outlet, and an air-permeable obstruction interposed between the trap and the outlet, and liquid occupying the trap to whichsaid-obstruction is impermeable.

2. The construction defined in claim 1,

having an air-permeable obstruction anterior able element from the suction connection, a

trap having its descending and ascending part respectively formed by interior and exterior tubular members of which the exterior member has a closed bottom, and a bushing at the top of said exterior member through which theinterior member is sealed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto. set

my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 17th day of May, 1930.

LEONARD WVHEELER.

liquid trap interposed between the pumping device and'each of said'outlets, said outlets being adapted for interposing the device in entirety in an air pressure line for delivering air from the pumping device in bOtlIdlIGC- tions. in said line.

4:. An air pumping device for the purpose yieldingly holding said member against movement in response to the suction through said'connection, saidbody having an outlet from the cavity adapted for connection to transmit'air pressure fromthe pumping device, and having an air inlet tothe :cavity positioned for admitting air thereto at'the opposite side of the movableelement from 

